A. J. O’Dell Interview

by daSkarles

What is your book about?

A MAN FROM THE SEA is a contemporary romance about Dr. Sara Mitchell, a successful California psychiatrist who doesn't need another challenge in her life. The past year has brought the drowning death of her older brother; a broken engagement to a womanizing trauma physician; and nearly losing her practice because of the guilt she carries over not being able to save her brother from drowning.

The tide carries a shipwrecked Irishman close to her beach and Sara swims out to rescue the man. Logan, has amnesia and has no idea how he ended up in the ocean, holding on to a piece of broken mast. With only a first name, they have little to go on for a missing person's report.

Sara is involved in Logan's therapy, but soon she is more than his psychiatrist. She fights the attraction to this handsome Irishman, but soon has to turn his therapy over to a colleague. She's just survived one disastrous relationship and isn't about to jump into another one with both feet and no life vest!

Through a series of events, Sara helps Logan regain his past. Logan's love changes her future.

During a freak storm at sea, the two of them have to face "ghosts" from their past in order to survive. The bond of love between them becomes the true force to be reckoned with, greater than the threat of capsizing.

Is this your first book?

Actually, it's my fifth book, but my first published novel. The others are being revised for submission, but I've written sci-fi, romantic suspense and one medical thriller. All my books have a medical element because I am in the nursing field, seventeen years critical care.

What made you want to be a writer?

Actually, I was recovering from surgery and, for the first time in my life, I had the time to sit down and write for long periods of time. I started with a word processor that only had a 1,000 word memory. I wrote a futuristic romance of 150,000 words by writing, printing, deleting, and writing another page. Needless to say, it took a while. I have always written. I started writing poetry in high school and was hooked when I joined Romance Writers of America about ten years ago.

What are the best times for you to write?

Early in the morning, when my mind is uncluttered, or late at night when it's quiet.

How did you get the setting for your story?

I love the ocean and the mystery it holds. I also have my roots in Ireland and wanted to write a romance about a California girl clashing with a spirited and stubborn Irishman. They are two people so different, yet each is running from their past in one way or another.

Do you base your characters on anyone you knew?

One of the sexiest actors and finest directors is Mel Gibson. I have admired his work for years. When I think of Logan, I picture Mel with an Irish brogue. May sound corny, but it worked for me. The loving between Sara and Logan? For that I reached back into my college days and pulled up the memories of my college sweetheart.

How did you get your title?

The title is self explanatory. Sara Mitchell was feeling guilty over being unable to save her drowning brother, when she is forced to get back in the ring--so to speak--and start living life again. Sara got her man... from the sea.

Did you have any problems writing the book?

Yes, I am not a sailor, so when there was a storm, I got the technical details wrong. Mast, rigging, etc... BUT another nurse I work with, Jana Stover, bless her heart, sails a lot. She was kind enough to read my storm chapter and help me get it accurate. I did the research on the wooden ships myself.

What advice do you have for the wanna-be-writer?

The best advice I have for the new writer is to believe in yourself and complete the whole novel. You cannot sell from an empty wagon, so to speak, so finish the book first. That is an accomplishment! Then, of course, join a writers' organization for your type of writing. Join a critique group, preferably one that doesn't edit the life right out of your manuscript. I have a great one with varied types of fiction writers who have helped me a great deal. Finally, revise your manuscript to be the best it can be. Then... put your heart on the line and send it out. It takes guts, but the rewards are worth it. Mainly, remember that you aren't a writer because you're on the New York Times Best Seller List. You are a writer because you write. You love the craft and are striving to be your personal best. I don't write what someone else feels I should write. I write the books of my heart. If you do this, you're being true to yourself. Now, get your backside in the chair and fingers on the keyboard... and write!